Big changes — and new names — coming for three St. Lucie County schools

St. Lucie County School District has more than 40,400 students in 19 elementary schools, 9 K-8 campuses, four middle schools, and five high schools. The district also has four magnet schools. ANDREW ATTERBURY/TCPALM
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"The community is excited about this grant," said Kathryn Hensley, a School Board member since 1996. "I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for us."

Magnet schools are public campuses offering special curriculum to attract students of different racial backgrounds, according to the Department of Education. The federal magnet-school grants are intended to bring together students from different social, economic, ethnic and racial backgrounds.

Changes are coming first for Fort Pierce Magnet School of the Arts and Samuel S. Gaines Academy.

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Fort Pierce Magnet School of the Arts will become the Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie in 2018-19. The school will feature programs such as dance, vocal and instrumental music, drama, musical theatre, and visual and graphic arts.(Photo11: JEREMIAH WILSON/TCPALM)

Fort Pierce Magnet School of the Arts

In 2018-19, the Fort Pierce magnet school will be renamed the Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie.

CAST, as school officials call the campus, will expand to include programs in dance, vocal and instrumental music, drama, musical theater and visual and graphic arts.

The grant allows the school district to build a dance studio and theater on the campus, school officials said. Classrooms will be remodeled for art programs, and the auditorium will get new sound and lighting equipment.

Students will be able to use portable equipment for outdoor theater and musical events such as monologue and one-act performances in the campus courtyard, school officials said.

"This is a really good opportunity to do something wonderful in the community that has a focus on arts," Hensley said. "It's going to be really fabulous."

Samuel S. Gaines Academy

Samuel S. Gaines Academy next year will become Samuel S. Gaines Academy of Emerging Technologies, school officials said.

The K-8 school will feature more courses in STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — school officials said.

This includes courses in computer coding, gaming, robotics, agriculture-technology, medicine and augmented- and virtual-reality applications, school officials said.

A program called "Grow/Play/Eat" also is coming to Samuel S. Gaines, according to the district's grant proposal. Students will keep a school garden and a chicken coop to learn about hydroponics and aquaponics, basic animal husbandry and soil experimentation.

Westwood High School

Changes are coming to Westwood High School in 2019-20, school officials said.

The campus will have new courses for students seeking pre-med, pharmacy-technician and data-scientist programs, school officials said. The district also is adding more college-level courses at Westwood and upgrading science labs.

Hensley credited the district's staff with seeking the federal Magnet School Assistance Program Grant to make these changes a reality.

The grant program this year awarded $91.7 million throughout 16 states, including grants in Miami and Fort Myers, according to the Department of Education.

St. Lucie County is receiving about $2.7 million this year to get the magnet programs started, according to the Department of Education. The remaining money will be spread out over the next few years.